University of Adelaide

Mark investigates the role of immune like cells, glial, in the brain and how they contribute to diseases such as chronic pain, drug addiction and epilepsy. The goals of his research are to discover new mechanisms of disease to formulate new drugs or treatments that can regain control of these immune cells to prevent diseases. Importantly, this research will lead to disease cures rather than just treatments. Critically these brain immune cells are pivotal to a wide variety of chronic diseases. However, there are currently no drugs on the market that are designed to target these cells, providing the new wave of revolutionary cures for a wide variety of diseases. In some cases these diseases may have treatments that are only partially effective, and in some cases they may have no treatment at all. Mark hopes that a glial targeted therapy will provide greater pain relief and faster recovery by specifically targeting the cause of the pain, rather than masking the consequences of it.